What to Do If Your Social Security Number Is Stolen?

Customer Question

My wife and I have...

My wife and I have direct deposit of our social security checks to our bank. Recently we have been advised that we may have an issue about identity theft. We have been advised to contact S.S. about changing our account and need to advise that we have a new routing number 5 0 3 2 4 9 9 4 8 for our check deposits. Please advise.

Experience: I have 30 years of legal and litigation experience, including representing clients before the U.S. Social Security Administration.

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If you already are receiving benefits, you can create a My Social Security Online Account and start or change Direct Deposit online. If you don’t already have an account, you can easily create one. You can open your own social security online account and see your earnings statement, estimated retirement benefit, change bank accounts and much more, in about 15 minutes through this site: http://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/

If you are already receiving Social Security and or Supplemental Security Income benefits through direct deposit, then you may change the account the deposit is posted to by calling 1 (800) SSA-1213(1 - 800 - 772 - 1213). The representative will be able to assist you in getting the change made to your account.

Finally, you may also visit your local social security office and make the change.

I certainly empathize with the angst and frustration that you must be feeling in potentially being a victim of fraud/identity theft. This happens to so many people and while it is good to be concerned, there are several things that can be done, even now to protect yourselves. Let me explain.

While a social security number/banking information may have been stolen, you can prevent the use of that number for fraudulent purposes by freezing the credit of the person whose number has been fraudulently obtained. That way the credit reporting companies will not provide credit scores for new loans, credit cards etc. unless they first get your permission, so long as the freeze is in place. You will want to contact the three main reporting agencies and have the reporting frozen.

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Disclaimer: Information in questions, answers, and other posts on this site ("Posts") comes from individual users, not JustAnswer; JustAnswer is not responsible for Posts. Posts are for general information, are not intended to substitute for informed professional advice (medical, legal, veterinary, financial, etc.), or to establish a professional-client relationship. The site and services are provided "as is" with no warranty or representations by JustAnswer regarding the qualifications of Experts. To see what credentials have been verified by a third-party service, please click on the "Verified" symbol in some Experts' profiles. JustAnswer is not intended or designed for EMERGENCY questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals.